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With Grateful Recognition to
Allen Clark
Secretary for the
Coyote Crisis Collaborative
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What Is National Incident Management
System Command and Management?
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Command and Management
Elements
Preparedness
Resource
Management
Communications &
Information Management
Command and Management
Incident
Command
System
Multiagency
Coordination
Systems
Public
Information
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National Incident Management
System (NIMS)
National Incident Management System:
• Is based on best practices collected from all
levels of responders.
• Integrates best practices into a comprehensive,
standardized framework.
• Is applicable across the full spectrum of potential
incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or
complexity.
Originally published in 2004, republished in 2008
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Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5
Management of Domestic Incidents
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5
directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to:
• Develop and administer a National Incident
Management System (NIMS).
• Develop the National Response Framework
(NRF).
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The NIMS Mandate
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5
requires all Federal departments and agencies to:
• Adopt and use NIMS in the incident management
programs and activities.
• Make adoption of NIMS by State, Tribal and local
organizations a condition for Federal
preparedness assistance (through grants,
contracts, and other activities).
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NIMS and the National
Response Framework
The National Response Framework (NRF)
• Is a guide to how the nation conducts all-hazards
response.
• Builds upon the NIMS coordinating Structures to align
key roles and responsibilities.
• Links all levels of government, nongovernmental
organizations, and the private sector
• Provides the structure and mechanism to ensure
effective federal Support of State, Tribal, and local
related activities.
• Provides the basic premise that incidents should be
handled at the lowest jurisdictional level possible.
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Elected and Appointed Officials
• Help establish relationships (including mutual
aid agreements and assistance agreements)
with other jurisdictions and, as appropriate, with
nongovernmental organizations and the private
sector.
• Provide guidance to their jurisdictions,
departments, and/or agencies with clearly stated
policies for NIMS implementation.
• Understand Laws and regulations in their
jurisdictions that pertain to emergency
management and incident response.
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Mutual Aid and Assistance
Agreements
•
•
•
Provide a mechanism to quickly obtain emergency
assistance in the form of personnel, equipment, material,
and other associated services .
Allow neighboring jurisdictions to support one another
during an incident.
Are formal documents that identify the resources that
jurisdictions are willing to share during an incident:
 Automatic Mutual Aid: Allows automatic dispatch and response;
some may be informal.
 Local Mutual Aid: Between neighboring jurisdictions or
organizations; usually cover a larger geographical area than
automatic aid agreements.
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Mutual Aid and Assistance
Agreements (Continued)
 Regional Mutual Aid: Sub-state regional agreements between
multiple jurisdictions; often sponsored by a council or governments
or similar regional body.
 Statewide/ Intrastate Mutual Aid: Usually coordinated through the
state; incorporate both State and local governmental and
nongovernmental assets to prepare statewide.
 Interstate Agreements: State-to-State agreements such as the
Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).
 International Agreements: Between US and other nations for
exchange of Federal assets.
 Other Agreements: All others, whether formal or informal, used to
request or provide assistance and/or resources among jurisdictions
at any level.
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Exercises
Exercises should:
• Include Multidisciplinary, multijurisdictional
incidents.
• Include participation of private sector and
nongovernmental organizations.
• Cover aspects of preparedness plans, particularly
the processes and procedures for activating local,
intrastate, or interstate mutual aid and assistance
agreements.
• Contain a mechanism for incorporating corrective
actions.
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Communications
• Interoperability: Communicate in and across agencies.
• Reliable: Able to function in the context of any type of
emergency.
• Portable: Built on standardized radio technologies,
protocols, and frequencies.
• Scalable: Use for small or large scale.
• Resilient: Able to perform despite damaged or lost
infrastructure.
• Redundant: Able to use alternate methods when primary
goes out.
• For all systems, common language should be used in
lieu of codes.
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Interoperability
Defined: The ability of emergency management/
response personnel to interact and work well
together.
Emergency communication systems should:
• Be the same or linked to the same system used
for non-emergency procedures.
• Effectively interface with national standards.
• Allow data sharing among key players.
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Identifying and Typing
Resources
The National Integration Center typing protocol
provides:
• Resource Type: Identifies the function for which
a resource would be most useful.
• Kind of Resource: Describes what it is (medic,
firefighter, Planning Section Chief, helicopter,
ambulance…).
• Type of Resource: Describes the size, capability,
and staffing qualifications of a specific kind of
resource.
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Mobilization and
Demobilization
Demobilization Planning:
• Demobilization begins at the same time as
mobilization.
• Facilitates accountability and efficiency of
resources.
• Occurs in the planning section.
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Credentialing
Credentialing includes the evaluation and
documentation of an individuals:
• Current certifications, license, or degree.
• Training and experience.
• Competence or Proficiency.
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Incident Command System (ICS)
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Understanding Command and
Coordination
Command
The act of directing, ordering,
or controlling by virtue of
explicit statutory, regulatory,
or delegated authority.
Coordination
The process of providing support to
the command structure, and may
include incident prioritization, critical
resource allocation,
communications systems
integration, and information
exchange.
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Incident Command System
Command and Management
Incident
Command
System
Multiagency
Coordination
Systems
Public
Information
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What Is ICS?
ICS:
• Is a standardized, on-scene,
all-hazard incident management
concept.
• Allows its users to adopt an integrated
organizational structure that matches
the complexities and demands of
incidents.
• Permits seamless integration of
responders from all jurisdictions.
• Can be used for incidents of any
type, scope, and complexity.
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ICS Features
• Facilities and Resources:
 Comprehensive resource
management.
 Incident locations and facilities.
• Communications/Information
Management:
 Integrated communications.
 Information and intelligence
management.
• Professionalism:
 Accountability.
 Dispatch/Deployment.
• Standardization:
 Common terminology.
• Command:
 Establishment and transfer of
command.
 Chain of command and unity of
command.
 Unified command.
• Planning/Organizational
Structure:




Management by objectives.
Incident Action Plan (IAP).
Modular organization.
Manageable span of control.
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Incident Command Functions
Incident Command
Operations
Planning
Logistics
Finance/
Administration
Note: Intelligence may be added as a function, if required, to meet incident
management needs.
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Incident Commander
The Incident Commander:
• Provides overall leadership
for incident response.
• Develops objectives and approves Incident
Action Plan (IAP):
 IAP: establishes the overall incident
objectives, strategies, and tactics.
• Approves ordering and release of
resources.
• Delegates authority to others.
• Takes general direction from
agency administrator/official.
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Incident Command Post
The Incident Command Post is:
• The location from which the
Incident Command directs
operations.
• Generally located at or in the
immediate vicinity of the
incident site.
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Command Staff
It may be necessary for the
Incident Commander to
designate a Command Staff that:
• Provides information, liaison,
and safety services for the
entire organization.
• Reports directly to the Incident
Commander.
Incident
Commander
Public Information
Officer
Liaison
Officer
Safety
Officer
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General Staff (Section Chiefs)
Incident management personnel organized according to
function and reporting to the Incident Commander.
Incident
Commander
Public Information
Officer
Command
Staff
Liaison
Officer
Safety
Officer
Operations
Section Chief
Planning
Section Chief
Logistics
Section Chief
Finance/Admin
Section Chief
General
Staff
Note: An Intelligence Section may be established, if required, to meet incident management
needs.
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General Staff
Operations: Responsible for tactical activities focused on reducing the immediate hazard,
saving lives and property, establishing situation control, and restoring normal operations.
(Branches, divisions, groups)
Planning: Collects, evaluates, and disseminates incident situation information and
intelligence for the incident commander/ unified command and incident personnel.
(resource unit, situation unit, demobilization unit, documentation unit, technical specialists)
Logistics: Responsible for all service support requirements needed to facilitate effective
and efficient incident management, including ordering resources from off-incident locations.
(supply unit, ground support unit, facilities unit, food unit, communication unit, medical unit)
Finance: Established when incident management activities require on-scene or incident
specific finance and other administrative support services. (compensation/ claim unit, cost
unit, procurement unit, time unit)
Intelligence (if established): During exceptional incidents, the Incident Commander may
choose to establish an Intelligence Section to gather classified or other important
information.
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Unified Command
As a team effort, Unified Command allows all agencies
with jurisdictional authority or functional responsibility
for an incident to jointly provide management direction
to the incident.
In Unified Command, no agency’s
legal authorities will be
compromised or neglected.
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Unified Command Benefits
• A shared understanding of priorities
and restrictions.
• A single set of incident objectives.
• Collaborative strategies.
• Improved internal and external
information flow.
• Less duplication of efforts.
• Better resource utilization.
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Single vs. Unified Command
Single Incident Commander
The Incident Commander is:
• Solely responsible (within the
confines of his or her authority)
for establishing incident
objectives and strategies.
• Directly responsible for
ensuring that all functional area
activities are directed toward
accomplishment of the strategy.
Unified Command
The individuals designated by
their jurisdictional or
organizational authorities work
together to:
• Determine objectives, strategies,
plans, resource allocations, and
priorities.
• Execute integrated incident
operations and maximize the
use of assigned resources.
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Area Command
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Area Command
Area Command is used to oversee the
management of:
• Multiple incidents that are each being handled by
an Incident Command System organization; or
• A very large incident that has multiple Incident
Management Teams assigned to it.
Area Commander
Incident #1
Incident Commander
Incident #2
Incident Commander
Incident #3
Incident Commander
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Area Command: Primary
Functions
• Provide agency or jurisdictional authority
for assigned incidents.
• Ensure a clear understanding of agency
expectations, intentions, and constraints.
• Establish critical resource use priorities
between various incidents.
• Ensure that Incident Management Team
personnel assignments and organizations
are appropriate.
• Maintain contact with officials in charge,
and other agencies and groups.
• Coordinate the demobilization or
reassignment of resources between
assigned incidents.
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Multiagency Coordination
System
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Multiagency Coordination
Systems
Command and Management
Incident
Command
System
Multiagency
Coordination
Systems
Public
Information
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Multiagency Coordination
System (MACS)
A system that provides the
architecture to support:
• Coordination for incident
prioritization.
• Critical resource allocation.
• Communications systems
integration.
• Information coordination.
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A System . . . Not a Facility
On-Scene
Command
Dispatch
Coordination
Resource Centers
Multiagency Coordination System
Coordination
Entities/
Groups
Emergency
Operations
Centers
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Emergency Operations Center
(EOC)
A central location that
supports Incident Command
by:
• Making executive/policy
decisions.
• Coordinating interagency
relations.
• Dispatching and tracking
requested resources.
• Collecting, analyzing, and
disseminating information.
The EOC does not
command the on-scene
level of the incident.
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Public Information Officer
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Public Information
Command and Management
Incident
Command
System
Multiagency
Coordination
Systems
Public
Information
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Public Information
Public Information includes
messages about:
• Lifesaving measures.
• Evacuation routes.
• Threat and alert system
notices.
• Other public safety
information.
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Managing Public Information
The Public Information Officer (PIO):
• Represents and advises the Incident Command.
• Interfaces with the public and media and/or with other
agencies regarding incident-related information
requirements
• Manages on-scene media and
public inquiries.
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Joint Information Center (JIC)
A JIC:
• May be established to
coordinate public affairs
functions.
• Serves as a focal point for
coordinated and timely
release of incident-related
information to the public
and the media.
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Speaking With One Voice
• Executives/senior officials
must coordinate and
integrate messages with onscene PIOs and other
agencies.
• The Joint Information System
(established procedures and
protocols) is used to help
ensure coordination of
messages.
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Joint Information System (JIS)
The JIS:
• Helps organize, integrate, and
coordinate information across
multiple jurisdictions and/or
disciplines with NGOs and the
private sector.
• Ensures timely, accurate,
accessible, and consistent
messaging.
• Includes the plans, protocols,
procedures, and structures
used to provide public
information.
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National Integration Center
The National Integration Center (NIC) serves as an
asset for:
• Government Agencies.
• Private Sector.
• Nongovernmental organizations that are
implementing NIMS.
Presidential Directive 5 requires the Secretary of Homeland
Security to establish a mechanism for ensuring the ongoing
management and maintenance of NIMS.
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Job of the Secretary
Established the National Integration Center to
perform:
• Promoting compatibility between national-level standards
for NIMS and those developed by other public, private,
and professional groups.
• Facilitating the establishment and maintenance of a
documentation and database system related to
qualification, certification, and credentialing of emergency
management /response personnel and organizations.
• Developing assessment criteria for the various
components of NIMS, as well as compliance requirements
and timelines.
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